Commode



(No Model.)

B. A..HALL.

f UOMMODB. No. 580,395. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

illllllllln IINTTnn STATES Trice.

PATENT COMMODE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 580,395, dated April.13, 189'?.

Application filed June 1, 1896. Serial No. 593,75 7. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BISHOP A. HALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pine Bluff, in the county of Jefferson and State ofArkansas, have invented a new and useful Commode, of which the followingis a specification.

The objects of my invention are, rst, to provide a commode which willnot only be useful for ordinary purposes, but will be especiallyconvenient in taking or administering either vaginal enemas or enemaspercmo, and, second, to provide a commode which can be readily folded upand stored away when not in use. I attain these objects by mechanismwhose preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is an end elevation of a commode embodying myimprovement standing ready for the reception of a bowl or chamber. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same commode with a bowl shown in dottedlines in the proper position. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a planview of a detail. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view ofthe commoderepresented in Fig. l with its shelf removed and its legs folded upagainst the seat. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the commode folded andinverted and with the shelf resting on the legs, and Fig. 7 is adetailed view of a modification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The seat of the commode preferably consists of two parts A A, Figs. l,2, 3, 5, and 6, preferably separated from each other by a large openingB, whose sides are preferably curved in the usual manner, and twopassages b and b extending outward, one from each end of the opening B,Figs. l, 3, and 5.

When the scat is occupied by a patient who is about to take or haveadministered to her a vaginal enema, the hand holding the nozzle of thesyringe can be introduced through the passage b and the nozzle insertedand held in the proper position. The passage b in such cases issometimes of use in drying the patient before she arises from the seat.In taking or administering an enema per ono the hand holding the nozzleof the syringe is introduced through the opening h.

I prefer to provide my commode with the passages t and o at front andrear, as shown,

, pair of hangers.

but where both ends of the seat are in other respects alike and theopening B is near enough to both ends to permit of either end being usedas the front one, as in the commode illustrated, one of said passagesmay be dispensed with without diminishing the value of the commodegreatly, as the position of the invalid can be varied to suit therequirements of the case, and so also where the position of the invalidcannot be thus varied by reason of the form of the commode a singlepassage b or o may be used with advantage, though in such cases thecommode cannot be used so conveniently in taking or adminis teringenemas of both classes, as will be obvious.

The seat of my commode is preferably supported and the parts A A' of theseat held in their proper relative positions by means of two pairs oflegs O O and O O', Figs. i, 2, 5, and 6, and connecting parts. Each pairof legs is preferably formed of a single bar of metal whose ends arebent so as to form the legs, and which is bent between the legs so as toform a horizontal pivot c, extending inward from the top of each leg, apair of hangers c c', extending downward, one from the inner end of eachpivot c, and a horizontal support c2, connecting the lower ends of theAs will be obvious, it is not essential, though it is desirable, to formthe legs of each pair and the connecting parts integral, nor is itessential that they should be made of metal. 4

The legs O O are preferably arranged closer together than the legs O O',so as to permit the former to lie between the latter, as shown in Fig.5, when folded.

The legs of the commode are preferably secured to the parts A A of theseat by means of straps D D and D D', which are preferably secured tothe under sides of the parts A A by means of screws d or other suitablemeans. The straps D D and D D' have bearings cl d (Z2 d2, in which thepivots c c, the., turn. One of the pivots c of each bar is secured tothe part A of the Vseat by one of said straps and to the part A byanother. The straps extend in each case from the leg to the hanger,though the bearings are not necessarily continuous, and they thusprevent lateral motion and enable the legs and connecting parts to keepIOO ' spreading of the legs longitudinally, and also limit the spreadingof the hangers, as shown most clearly in Figs. l and 2.

The use of a separate stop foreach hanger and one for each leg isdesirable because it tends to give the device rigidity, but, as will beobvious, a single stop may be made to answer for a pair of legs andconnectinghangers such as are shown, and there are wellknown equivalentmeans which may be substituted for those shown for limiting the outwardmovement of the legs and hangers. VWhen the legs and hangers are spreadand in contact with the stops cl3 and d4, they are preferably kept frommoving inward by means of a shelf E, inserted between the legs, as shownin Figs. l, 2, and 3, and preferably supported by the hangers.

The shelf E preferably has at each end a projection c and shoulders e' eon each side of the projection. Each of said projections preferablyextends outward between a pair of hangers c c and rests upon one of thesupports c2. The projection is preferably wide enough to occupy theentire space between the hangers, so as to avoid lateral movement. Theshoulders c e at each end of the shelf E preferably rest against theinner sides of the adjoininghangers and legs when it is in place, andthus keep the legs spread apart. I n inserting the shelf I prefer tointroduce it in a slanting position and then press it down into itsplace. In that way it may be made to iit tightly.

The bowl F or other vessel used in the commode preferably rests upon theshelf E.

It is sometimes desirable to either elevate the shelf above the supportsc2 c2 or lower it below them. This may be accomplished by attaching toone or more corners of the shelf a sleeve G, having a screw-threadedhole g through it and a set-screw g' in said hole, passing one of thelegs C or C through the sleeve and sliding the sleeve up or down uponthe leg, and when in position securing it in place by means of theset-screw. As will be obvious, the shelf will in such cases have to befirst removed if the supports c2 c2 have to be passed during theadjustment. Other equivalentmeans for adjustably supporting the shelf inplace will at once suggest themselves to any mechanic reading thisspecification.

As will be obvious, it is unnecessary to extend the hangers below theseat, where they are not intended to support the shelf E, but it isdesirable to extend them low enough to 6 5 leave plenty of space for theintroduction of instruments, (he. Where the seat is of the usual kind,the arrangement of legs, hangers, and shelf described may still be usedwith advantage, and so, on the other hand, my improved seat may besupported in an entirely different manner from the one shown.

I claim- 1. In a commode, the combination of a seat having the usuallarge opening through it and a passage extending out from one end ofsaid opening and dividing the seat at that end; two pairs of legs eachpair connected together by means of pivots extending inward, one fromthe upper end of each leg, a pair of downwardly-extending hangers, onehanger connected with the inner end of each pivot, and a cross-piece,connecting the lower ends of the hangers; means fastening said legs tosaid seat; a shelf supported by said hangers and keeping said legsspaced apart; and means limiting the outward movement of the legssubstantially as described.

2. In a commode, the combination of a seat divided longitudinally intotwo parts completely separated by the usual large opening and twopassages leading out from opposite ends of said opening; two pairs oflegs; means fastening each pair of legs to both parts of said seat; andmeans passing across below said seat and connecting the legs of eachpair together, and holding the parts of said seat apart and in position,substantially as described.

3. In a commode, the combination of a seat divided, longitudinally intotwo parts, completely separated by the usual large opening, and twopassages extending out from the opposite ends of said opening; two pairsof legs; means hinging each pair of legs to both parts of the seat;means passing across below the seat and connecting each pair of legstogether and holding the parts of the seat apart and in position; meanslimiting the spreading of the two pairs of legs away from each other andmeans keeping them spaced apart substantially as described.

4. In a commode a divided seat composed of parts A A', two pairs oflegs; means connecting the legs of each pair together; means hingingeach pair of legs to both parts of the seat; means limiting thespreading of the legs and a shelf keeping the legs spaced apartsubstantially as described.

6. In a commode a divided seat composed of parts A and A; two pairs oflegs; means connecting the legs of each pair together; means hingingeach pair of legs to both parts of the seat; means limiting thespreading of the legs; a shelf keeping said legs spread apartand meansadj ustably securing the shelf in position.

BISHOP A. HALL.

Vitnesses:

A. BLUTHENTHAL, Lno KAsToR.

IOO

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